Actor Harry Lennix Thinks Will Smith Should Return His Oscar After Chris Rock Slap
Will Smith has been banned from attending the Academy Awards for the next 10 years after his Oscars slap on Chris Rock. But one actor thinks Smith should go the extra mile and return his statuette.
Actor Harry Lennix, known for his roles in films like The Five Heartbeats, Justice League, and Ray, believes Smith can show more “integrity” by voluntarily returning his first and only Academy Award.
In an op-ed for Variety, Lennix called out Smith’s behavior at this year’s Oscars after the King Richard star walked on stage and slapped Rock for telling a joke about his wife, Jada Pinkett-Smith. Despite the 10-year ban Smith received, Lennix thinks the Best Actor winner “needs to come to grips with the gravity of the offense he committed” by returning his award.
Lennix wrote that Smith should “express-mail his golden trophy back to the Academy and publicly state something to the effect of: ‘Out of respect for the 94 years of honor conferred upon this award, I do not in good conscience feel worthy of being its custodian.’ ”
“At this point, the only person who can redeem the integrity of the Oscars is Smith himself,” Lennix wrote.
He went on to accuse “Smith’s brutality” of having “stripped the entire evening of its prestige.”
“The stain on the Motion Picture Academy cannot be easily remediated. The only hope for a justifiable grace must involve Smith voluntarily returning his award for best actor,” Lennix wrote.
He says Smith’s Oscars ban is “little more than an extended time out for a playground bully; it’s a toothless penalty that lays bare the shallowness of Hollywood morals.”
On Friday, Academy President David Rubin and CEO Dawn Hudson released a letter responding to the 10-year ban.
“The 94th Oscars were meant to be a celebration of the many individuals in our community who did incredible work this past year; however, those moments were overshadowed by the unacceptable and harmful behavior we saw Mr. Smith exhibit on stage,” the statement read.
Smith has shared his support for his ban, saying, “I accept and respect the Academy’s decision.”
Los Angeles Prosecutors Won’t Charge Former Cops In Shooting of California Couple Asleep In Their Car
Los Angeles County District prosecutors have confirmed that the five former Inglewood Police Department officers who opened fire on a couple they found unconscious inside a car in 2016 would not be charged due to lack of evidence.
The DA’s office solidified its decision more than five years after the Feb. 21, 2016, killings of Kisha Michael and Marquintan Sandlin by Inglewood police. According to NBC Los Angeles, prosecutors concluded that there is “insufficient evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the officers’ use of deadly force was unlawful.”
Responding officers arrived at the scene after receiving a call about a vehicle stopped in traffic lanes. The caller also reported that the woman, later identified as Michael, had a gun on her lap, according to a 36-page police report. The couple was asleep with the windows up in the front seats of a Chevy Malibu. Officers blocked the car with vehicles and tried waking the couple with illuminated light bars, sirens, air horns, and a Los Angeles Police Department helicopter. But the couple did not wake.
“Driver, do not move. Roll the windows of the vehicle down,” the officers reportedly said.
The report says Sandlin finally awoke, rolled the window down, and drove forward hitting one of the patrol cars. He then reversed, striking another police vehicle. Multiple officers said they saw Sandlin lean toward his right and reach toward Michael’s lap. The cops fired two shotgun rounds, hitting Sandlin before opening fire on Michael as she woke up and opened the passenger’s door. They both died on the scene.
“[The officers] were in imminent danger of death or great bodily injury when they fired their weapons,” Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascon said in a new report, according toThe LA Times. “This honest reasonable belief precludes criminal liability.”
An autopsy found that Michael’s and Sandlin’s blood alcohol contents were over the legal limit, the Los Angeles Times reported. Traces of methamphetamine were also found in Michael’s blood.
“We know this is excruciating and that the families are understandably devastated. We also understand that the public has questions, but out of respect for the families, we wanted to meet with them first and give them time to process this difficult information,” Gascon told NBC4 in a statement.
Milton Grimes, the attorney who represented the families in the civil case, said that there was no justification for the police shooting.
“They set up. They took cover. There was no officer in danger,” he said. “They were all behind a vehicle or a bus bench — wherever they thought they could be secure.”
The five Inglewood officers involved were fired, according to the City of Inglewood, which paid an $8.6-million legal settlement to the Michael and Sandlin families.
Rihanna Explains Why ‘There’s No Way’ She Was Shopping For Maternity Clothes
Rihanna bared her baby bump, glowing with A$AP Rocky’s baby, on the May cover of Vogue,where she opened up about her pregnancy and her excitement to become a mom.
Since announcing her pregnancy, Rihanna has helped to redefine maternity fashion. Always a fashion icon throughout her career, the fashion/beauty mogul explained why she never had a desire to shop for maternity clothes.
“When I found out I was pregnant, I thought to myself, ‘There’s no way I’m going to go shopping in no maternity aisle,’ ” Rihanna told Vogue.
The fashion-forward pop star enjoys the artform too much to allow her style to shift because of her pregnancy.
“I’m sorry — it’s too much fun to get dressed up,” Rihanna said. “I’m not going to let that part disappear because my body is changing.”
The 34-year-old admitted that her desire to maintain her signature style drives her stylist crazy.
Rihanna says her stylist “loses sleep” over her wanting to maintain her pre-pregnancy fashion “because my measurements can literally change from hour to hour.”
“In fact, I’m sure he’s going to ask for a raise after this!” she jokingly said.
Since stepping out on the social scene with her baby bump in tow, Rihanna says the most maternity-like outfit she’s worn was the sheer black dress at the Dior Autumn-Winter 2022 show during Paris Fashion Week last month.
“And we hadn’t really done lady that whole time. So I was like, ‘Let’s do lady!'” she said while jokingly referencing a G-string from her Savage X Fenty line,
“Listen, they were going to see my panties regardless. So they’d better be mine.”
Always one to set trends and create new standards in beauty and fashion, Rihanna shared her hopes of being “able to redefine what’s considered ‘decent’ for pregnant women” in terms of clothing.
“My body is doing incredible things right now, and I’m not going to be ashamed of that. This time should feel celebratory. Because why should you be hiding your pregnancy?” Rihanna asked.
Black Twitter Side-Eyes Killing of Christian Obumseli By White Girl After His Scathing Tweets About Black Women Resurface
Last week, police officers arrested Courtney Tailor, an Instagram influencer, after she was accused of fatally stabbing her Black boyfriend, Christian Obumseli, inside his Miami apartment.
After news of the crime, social media users started recovering old posts from Obumseli’s Twitter account that allegedly slanders Black women and outlines his fetish for white women. Many on Twitter took notice and quickly distanced themselves from rallying behind Obsumseli after his brother asked for the “community’s” help in seeking justice for Obumseli’s death.
Obsumseli’s brother Jeffrey put out a statement referencing the old Tweets his brother supposedly sent out as a teenager.
Radar Online reported that among the posts uncovered from as far back as 2012 read,
“Can’t believe #oomf thinks I talk to black girls when I don’t.” Another one stated, “Black girls aren’t the only [ones] who can cook in the world!”
Jeffrey Obumseli took to his Instagram account to respond and acknowledge what he refers to as “ignorant and repulsive” social media posts his brother, Christian, wrote in the past. Instead, he wants people, especially law enforcement officials, to concentrate on the alibi Tailor has given for what took place last week resulting in his brother’s death. He said a thorough investigation is needed to obtain justice for his dead sibling.
“As a family, we strongly disagree with the ignorant and repulsive tweets from my then-high school aged brother that have recently surfaced. However, the tweets do not diminish our demand for a thorough investigation into Toby’s murder or negate the necessity for justice.
“It’s been a week since my brother was brutally and senselessly killed. Courtney Taylor (sic) Clenney’s callous actions have not been met with an ounce of remorse. We’ve seen videos of Courtney kissing her dogs while covered in what we believe to be my brother’s blood and casually getting drinks at a hotel bar days later while my brother lays in the morgue.”
He stated that his brother’s girlfriend is being “treated differently” because she is a wealthy white woman. Jeffrey said his brother reportedly had no weapon, so how could Tailor be in imminent danger. Tailor hasn’t explained “exactly what happened” leading to his brother’s murder. He says he and his family wants justice for his brother.
He ends his statement with, “My family needs your support. We cannot do this without community.”
However many are side-eyeing that statement, saying don’t call for the “community” now.
I just got 1 thing to say about this Christian “Toby” Obumseli sichiation. DO NOT CALL US! Everybody wants to black women to rally behind this black man that was killed by the very woman he craved. Call HIS community. Not us!! He don’t want nothing from us. Respect his wishes. pic.twitter.com/ktt7MuMYX6
So #ChristianObumseli, a black man who constantly bashed black women for white women was murdered by a white woman and y’all want black women to do what exactly?
So Christian Toby Obumseli was on social media passing around anti-black women propaganda and praising only white women only for a white woman to kill him and white police officers refusing to investigate his case…terrible story but crazy how the universe works sometimes
On Sunday, CBS Miami reported that Christian Toby Obumseli, 27, was identified as the victim murdered inside One Paraiso in Miami’s Edgewater neighborhood. Obumseli was attacked inside his home and died after being transported by Miami Fire Rescue to JMH’s Ryder Trauma Center.
Tailor has since been arrested and held under the Baker Act because she reportedly threatened suicide, Sportskeeda.com reports. The Baker Act requires anyone threatening self-harm to be held at a psychiatric facility for at least 72 hours.
Frustrated JetBlue Passengers Beg Crew Members to Get Off Airplane After Several Attempts to Land at JFK In NYC
An airplane heading to John F. Kennedy Airport in New York City was rerouted to Newark Airport in nearby New Jersey after the crew made several attempts to land the aircraft due to inclement weather.
Passengers were scared and exhausted from having to be in the air, and a video shows the panic and anguish they faced on the flight.
According to The New York Post, passengers on a JetBlue flight last Friday were seen on video pleading with the crew to allow them to get off the plane. The frustration of several passengers was evident as two men advocated to get off the aircraft. As the men speak to JetBlue personnel, other passengers join in, complaining about staying aboard the plane.
The plane had gone to Newark Airport to wait for the weather at JFK to clear so the plane could head back to the Queens, New York airport.
One passenger wanted to get off the airplane so bad that he told crew members that they could arrest him if need be. He told them, ‘I’m not going back in the air,’ as the crew member tells him that the turbulence made it unsafe to land.
Another man interjects and tells them that his kids are panicking.
My kids are panicking,” the man says. “We gotta get off this plane. It’s dangerous! We tried to land four times already … we’re scared to fly; we wanna get off! I don’t want to go to jail, but it’s not right.”
In an email sent to The Post, JetBlue spokesman Derek Dombrowski stated that Flight 1852 was diverted to Newark Liberty International Airport “due to weather” at JFK.
“Without proper customs processing available for the flight at Newark, the aircraft remained on the ground for 60 minutes and once the weather cleared departed again for JFK where it safely landed.”
Despite the complaints from the passengers, JetBlue reportedly only offered passengers $50 in-flight credits for the inconvenience.
P. Diddy Beams into Hologram Business as Advisor for Holoportation Giant
Proto Inc., formerly PORTL, has named Sean Combs as an Advisor to the holoportation startup which is active across multiple industries including: entertainment, education, retail, enterprise, business, marketing, fashion, and the art world.
Proto’s proprietary state of the art technology is what makes interactive holoportation possible—allowing a person to “beam” in real time when they can’t be there physically. The artist and entrepreneur was introduced to Proto when he used the new technology to “beam” from Miami to Los Angeles to sing Happy Birthday to his son, Christian “King” Combs—an event that sparked millions of views on social media.
“Sean Combs has always been an inspiring pioneer in music and business—constantly changing the game with whatever he does,” said David Nussbaum, CEO and founder of Proto Inc.
“We were honored to bring his family together last Spring, and it became the perfect example of how Proto connects people for meaningful, emotional interactions unlike any other technology. We’re so excited to be working with him as we continue to make the future a reality now.”
Combs also participated in the recent $12 million Series A round led by TRUE Capital Management (Coinbase, Palantir). The Series A round also included legendary tech investor Tim Draper (Tesla, SpaceX, Twitch), early Uber investors Jillian Manus and Mike Walsh of Structure Management, Quavo of Migos, and dozens of retired and active pro-athletes including Marshawn Lynch, Albert Pujols, Robert Griffin III, Luke Walton and Breanna Stewart.
Proto holoportation has been used by the CEOs of IWC Schaffhausen and Formula E racing as well as by brands such as AT&T, T-Mobile, DHL, Diageo, Christie’s, Chase Bank, Kia, and at Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta. Notable names who have recently used Proto include Ellen Degeneres, Lewis Hamilton, Usain Bolt, Tombogo (in Proto’s New York Fashion Week debut) and Iris Apfel for the launch of her line with H&M.
Proto has become recognized as the ideal showcase for NFTs having started in the field with the first NFT designed for a Proto made by Nicole Buffett (later purchased at auction by Snoop Dogg). Christie’s uses Proto for its NFT auctions, amfAR featured it at its Cannes Gala honoring Spike Lee, and NBA champ Danny Green used it to launch his ring NFT.
Additionally, Proto was used in major events at NYC.NFT, at Miami Crypto Experience, and dominated the NFT space Art Basel with activations involving ArtRepublic, SuperRare, Red DAO, DeadMau5, and Micah Johnson’s Aku World.
The Proto M, the smaller version of the holoportation unit, debuted at SXSW 2022 and is a finalist in the festival’s Innovation Awards. Since the start of 2022, Proto has been featured on the Today Show, honored three times at the CES Innovation Awards, and named to Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies list.
Black Tech Firm Gains $6 Million in Seed Funding to Expand its Construction Software Platforms
Livegistics just gained $6 million in seed funding to help the Black-owned technology firm expand its operations and gain new customers.
The Detroit-based company is a cloud-based material management system that takes all the paper processes in civil engineering and converts them into a digital platform with real-time GPS tracking. Calling itself a global leader in construction operations software, Livegistics says its niche is helping companies erase revenue losses from lost tickets and giving them a competitive edge with data analytics.
Livegistics CEO and co-founder Justin Turk is leveraging over 25 years of experience and is using technology to change archaic construction practices and revolutionize the industry. He says the firm has grown to 28 employees from four last year. Its technology is now operating in six states and 14 landfills nationally. The firm’s growth was helped by a $1 million “Black Ambition” grand prize pitch competition in 2021 backed by musician, entrepreneur, and philanthropist Pharrell Williams.
“My father and grandfather once owned and operated Michigan’s largest minority-owned asphalt company, so construction is in my DNA,” Turk stated.
“My ambition to achieve and restore system integrity to the industry is still fueled by their legacy.”
Livegistics swears its platforms enables drivers to stay in their vehicles and digitally cross scales on job sites, landfills, and recycling facilities in 13 seconds, reducing the time from three minutes.
The company informed BLACK ENTERPRISE it plans to use $6 million—representing its first round of seed funding—led by Refinery Ventures and BlackOps Ventures to scale up.
Turk says the money will help speed up Livegistics’s ground-breaking technology rollout via a multitiered platform system offering enormous value and efficiency to users.
“We can now pursue contracts with corporations whose daily activities have a substantial influence on both our communities and the environment.”
Turk estimates that the software will give his firm access to a current $12 billion market in its business and the $1.2 trillion new infrastructure law.
He added, “Livegistics will now be able to target heavy civil construction companies with the funding.”
“With current restrictions being implemented, funding has become a critical requirement for us to build and scale our platform in order to meet the large increases in demand that we anticipate.”
He says the firm’s software is available in all 50 states, and it is now identifying significant “building markets” to help boost sales in specific areas nationally.
Revenue wise, Turk says the firm expects to generate $4 million this year, up from $1 million last year. The global company expects to add 20 more employees by late 2022.
“We are really optimistic about our trajectory matching the current potential because new customer interaction accounts for 92% of our growth, and we have a 97% retention rate.”
Livegistics started after Turk met one of its co-founders, Randy Baily, while on vacation in the Dominican Republic in 2017. Bailey designed the prototype and now works in the product department.
Turk added that a game-changer for the firm has been Andre Davis, who serves as co-founder, CFO, and is a CPA.
Turk says Davis was instrumental in Livegistics winning the Black Ambition funding and getting the $6 million seed funding.
When it came to creating the company and handling its money, Turk says there was no one else he trusted more than Davis, who he has known since they were both five years old.
“By delivering accountability and transparency across the board, Livegistics is committed to building a company and software that is built on integrity,” Turk says.
Multiple People Shot In New York Subway Station, 13 Injured
NEW YORK (Reuters) -Multiple people were shot and at least 13 were injured on Tuesday in a New York City subway station, the fire department said, in the latest spasm of violence in the city’s sprawling transit system.
The shootings occurred during the morning commute at the 36th Street subway station in Brooklyn‘s Sunset Park neighborhood.
Police officers work at the scene of a shooting at a subway station in the Brooklyn borough of New York City, April 12, 2022. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid
CNN and other media reported that at least five people were shot, citing sources in the New York Fire Department, but Reuters could not immediately confirm the specific number. It was not immediately clear whether the number of injured people included those who were shot.
The whereabouts of the perpetrator were unclear.
Juliana Fonda, a broadcast engineer at radio station WNYC, told local news website Gothamist that she heard shots while in an adjoining subway car.
“The reaction of the passengers was terrifying because they were trying to get into our car away from something that was happening in the back of the train,” she said. “None of us in the front of the train knew what was going on, but people were pounding and looking behind them, running, trying to get onto the train.”
She added that she heard “a lot of loud pops” and that there was smoke in another train car.
Police officers walk near the scene of a shooting at a subway station in the Brooklyn borough of New York City, April 12, 2022. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid
Authorities shut down a dozen or so blocks around the 36th Street subway station and another nearby station, and closed off the immediate area with yellow crime scene tape.
The New York Police Department warned people to stay away from the area, which is known for its thriving Chinatown, views of the Statue of Liberty and Industry City, a sprawling warehouse district that has become home to many creative businesses.
Emergency personnel work near the scene of a shooting at a subway station in the Brooklyn borough of New York City, April 12, 2022. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid
In recent months New York has experienced a rise in gun violence in general and a spate of attacks in the city’s transit system, one of the world’s oldest and most extensive.
Local and federal law enforcement officials gathered at the scene, watched by small crowds of people on sidewalks huddled against buildings in a drizzle. Many officers could be seen donning heavy-duty armor and helmets.
Konrad Aderer, a commuter, was in the stairwell about to enter the 36th Street station when he saw a man with bleeding legs explaining what had happened to a worker at the station booth.
“He just said that there was a lot of people bleeding,” Aderer told Fox News in a phone interview. “He took it upon himself to make sure that people were alerted, despite being injured.”
The fire department initially said that undetonated explosive devices were found at the station, but police later said in a Tweet there were no active explosive devices.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams was being briefed on the situation, his press secretary said in a statement shared on Twitter. Adams recently tested positive for COVID-19.
(Reporting by Brendan O’Brien; editing by Jonathan Oatis)
Honoring A Hero: Meet The Longest-Serving Black Aviator In The Massachusetts Army National Guard
On May 31, Stephen Boyd will proudly retire as the longest-serving Black aviator in the Massachusetts Army National Guard.
The decorated pilot, who first enlisted in 1984, continues to make historical milestones. Last Saturday, Boyd became the first African American to achieve the rank of chief warrant officer 5, Cape Cod Times reported. After devoting his life to the Army National Guard, this recent promotion speaks to his many accomplishments as a pilot, aviation safety liaison, and mentor to other soldiers.
“For whoever comes along after me, I hope that my contribution makes their journey a little bit easier,” said Boyd.
Photo Credit: CW4 Stephen Boyd (U.S. Army)
Boyd says he is most proud of his contributions as an aviation and ground safety officer for Headquarters U.S. Army Africa based in Vicenza, Italy. He has worked in this position for the past five years. Among his responsibilities, Boyd is dedicated to improving the safety culture of African countries. He wrote a safety program that has been used and expanded on by the militaries of Uganda and Kenya.
“I was able to have a lasting impact, where I could stem that tide of accidents and deaths, not just in our military service, but in other countries across Africa,” said Boyd.
As a Black aviator, Boyd hopes that his accomplishments will continue to blaze the path for other people of color who want to serve in the National Guard. His triumphs are a product of his upbringing. Boyd grew up in a military family, having his parents’ determination, discipline, and faith instilled in him. His father, Arthur Boyd, was born in 1920s Alabama and served in the military during World War II when the military was still segregated.
“With my father growing up in Jim Crow South and serving a segregated Army, and a generation later, I stand here as an aviator and a senior warrant, that really is the American dream,” said Boyd in a video he filmed for the Armed Forces Network, as per the Times.
Boyd attended flight school at Fort Rucker in Alabama, where he saw very few who looked like him. Although Fort Rucker has become more diverse, Boyd truly believes that the military can improve recruiting, where officers of color would go into communities of color to talk about service.
“It’s an institution, and I’m one man. The institution is where the work needs to be done,” he said.
In his next chapter, Boyd has accepted a civilian position in the Department of the Army with the Safety Division of the Southern European Task Force-Africa, in Vicenza, Italy. He and his wife are set to leave for Italy later this spring.
Boyd credits his new promotion rank to his wife, who has been with him since enlisting.
Hillman Grad Unveils New 2022 Class of 22 Emerging Creatives for 2nd Annual Mentorship Lab
Hillman Grad Productions, a development and production company founded by Lena Waithe and Rishi Rajani, committed to creating art that redefines the status quo by providing a platform for BIPOC and underrepresented voices across all mediums, has unveiled the new class of 22 emerging filmmakers for its Mentorship Lab program.
Spearheaded by Executive Director Lacy Lew Nguyen Wright, and Senior Advisor Justin Riley, the mission of Mentorship Lab is to provide opportunities for marginalized creatives and storytellers to connect, grow and accelerate their careers in television and film.
“As long as I can recall, my heart has always been about giving back to the next generation of storytellers, whether hosting writing workshops, coffee meetings on Saturdays to lend advice, or doing table reads on scripts,” said Waithe.
“The diversity of the Mentorship Lab is unlike any other room in Hollywood where all voices are welcome.”
Self-funded by Waithe, the program is subsidizing people’s lives—reflective of what’s happening today in front and behind the screen. With over 1,700 applicants applying from across the country, once again, Waithe and team will create an evolving door for networking opportunities—where every filmmaker and actor is market ready with on-site skill capabilities.
The new class of emerging filmmakers are:
Creative Executives
– Andy Park (Los Angeles, Calif.)
– Franco Chacon (Los Angeles, Calif.)
– Geralyn Smith (Los Angeles, Calif.)
– Jocelyn Waddell (Los Angeles, Calif.)
– Wai Wing Lau (Los Angeles, Calif.)
Writers
– Abi Rich (Boston, Mass.)
– Blake Williams (Los Angeles, Calif.)
– Charlene Little (Douglasville, Ga.)
– Cydney Fisher (Los Angeles, Calif.)
– Emily Teerasuphaset (Los Angeles, Calif.)
– Luveza Mubashar (New York, N.Y.)
– Rubén Mendive (Los Angeles, N.Y.)
– Van Newman (New York, N.Y.)
– Victoria George (Los Angeles, Calif.)
Actors
– Donnevan Tolbert (St. Clair Shores, Mich.)
– Jonny Williams (Los Angeles, Calif.)
– Kashayna Johnson (New York, N.Y.)
– LaNora Terraé Hayden (Los Angeles, Calif.)
– Lee Hubilla (New York, N.Y.)
– Lynnese Page (New York, N.Y.)
– Michaela Obro-Ababio (New York, N.Y.)
– TJ Chester (West Palm Beach, Fla.)
“Our mentorship lab is a full-fledged creative academy for artists and creators to delve deep into their craft through mentorship and education, providing access to spaces and opportunities that may have been previously inaccessible,” said Wright and Riley.
“Our mentees are able to refine their skillsets in an authentic space that celebrates their identities and lived experiences, enabling them to go into the industry with the confidence to get hired, staffed, or booked.”
On Mar. 18, the Mentorship Lab will fly out the new class to Los Angeles—to give the winners their first taste of Hollywood andto celebrate the mentees and meet Hollywood executives for the first time, with a showcase event to follow in October.
The eight-month, tuition-free program offers mentees the opportunity to enhance their creative skillset through personalized instruction from industry professionals, creating additional pathways to bring more people from diverse backgrounds into the entertainment industry. Committed to infusing new narratives and perspectives in front of and behind the camera, The Hillman Grad Mentorship Lab provides a robust slate of workshops, educational resources, professional development and networking opportunities for a cohort of diverse writers, actors and aspiring creative executives.
The program includes: television writing, screen acting and executive development, instructed by Carolyn Michelle Smith (Co-Director of Acting Track), Behzad Dabu (Co-Director of Acting Track) and Michael Svoboda (Director of Writing Track), among others.
As an extension of the production company, the lab is a piece of the larger puzzle that is creating a sustainable pipeline of talent across film and TV (with plans to expand into other spaces including music, publishing, fashion, and more). Program participants have a chance to work with and directly interact with an impressive list of guests that includes actors, directors, casting directors, editors, union reps, and publicists. Many of the names on the list are integrated with the company at-large, whether that is through a project, a client, or a partnership—even some started as part of the inaugural class and have already taken on positions within the Hillman Grad Productions ecosystem. Almost all these guests are from underrepresented communities just like the mentees themselves. Previous guests have included Cynthia Erivo (The Color Purple), Kendrick Sampson (HBO’s Insecure), Carmen Cuba (Casting Director, Netflix’s Stranger Things), and Femi Oguns (CEO, Identity Agency Group), among others.
Success from Hillman Grad’s inaugural class, includes:
– Executive Mentee Ranard Caldwell (he/him) was hired as director of development for Sunny Hostin’s production company, Roots & Wings.
– Writing Mentee Josh Fulton (he/him) can be seen this month off-Broadway in Obie award-winning playwright Aleshea Harris‘s play ON SUGARLAND at the New York Theatre Workshop.
– Writing Mentee Tea Ho (she/they) was hired as a writer’s assistant on the new HBO and A24 series adaptation of Viet Thanh Nguyen’s national best-seller THE SYMPATHIZER.
– Acting Mentee Juliana Aidén Martinez (she/they) is currently filming Sofia Vergara‘s upcoming limited series at Netflix, GRISELDA.
– Writing Mentee Urvashi Pathania (she/her) was selected as a 2021 HBO Asian Pacific American Visionaries short film winner and was selected for 2022 Indeed’s Rising Voices.
– Writing Mentee Arturo Luís Soria (he/him) was cast as a series regular in Apple TV+’s upcoming show BAD MONKEY.
